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War of the Wielded
For centuries, two rival factions of intelligent magic weapons had recruited soldiers into a secret conflict, easily manipulating those who would carry them. Our heroes had to find a way to stop the endless bloodshed, or else become the next generation of pawns themselves. Background Generations ago, two competing thieves' guilds vied for control of Sasserine's underworld. The House of Oquon, a collective of egalitarian political radicals turned criminal, fought mercilessly with the Cabanites, an organisation of mostly-disgraced nobles dissatisfied with the city's government. Back and forth across the city the two groups fought, from the Oquon's guildhouse in Sunrise to the Cabanite's Noble Borough hideout. As both sides were killed off faster than they could recruit new troops, the guilds' numbers dwindled, causing the leaders of both factions to compose a desperate plan. Both sides created a number of powerful magic weapons, and infused them with their own personalities. These items were capable of dominating their wielders and forcing them to continue the guilds' eternal struggle. The plan worked perfectly, and long after the leadership of both houses had collapsed and been forgotten, the weapons continued the struggle. Over time, however, the weapons were acquired by museums and private collections capable of avoiding their influence, and few today remember the legends of the houses' bitter feud. Recently, however, looters in Sasserine's former Albaidan Quarter stumbled across a weapon from each faction in the collection of the viceroy. The weapons immediately took control of their wielders, and in the chaos of the revolution they set about freeing their comrades and returning themselves to full strength. They restarted their ancient conflict, and the Cabanites managed to capture Hoardcutter and kill the wielder of Sabrehawk, just moments before our heroes came across him. Synopsis The Serai Murder While investigating the scene of a bizarre, back-alley murder, our heroes discovered a talking short sword named Sabrehawk. Sabrehawk, a member of House Oquon, recruited our heroes to help him rescue his captured bladebrother, Hoardcutter. He urged them to act before the Cabanites could entomb Hoardcutter at Featherwhisper's Bathhouse. Fight at Featherwhisper's Our heroes infiltrated Featherwhisper's by posing as customers (apart from Vondal, who insisted on walking across town with a hypnotised receptionist to prove that he had no part in the alleged corrupt victimisation of the bathhouse). After a weightlifting spell in the gym, they came across Tegan Teraknian and Denna in the sauna with three Cabanite Imperativas (wielding Dutchessa Thaluna, Fhalu, and Asidra Ja). Upon trying to enter the mudrooms, they were assaulted by the Dutchessas. After this first battle, our heroes entered the mud rooms and disrupted the Cabanite entombment ceremony. They fought the Cabanites present, but Czarina Valora and her wielder, Sartanis Rayblade, were able to escape. A number of aristocrats were present, including Caterina Teraknian, but aside from some mud wrestling, no harm was done to them. A squad from the watch then arrived, led by Lt. Vitellian Yarrick. Yarrick asked lots of questions and looked unconvinced by our heroes' stories, but when he took Hoardcutter into custody, he decided to let our heroes go, having been dominated by the sword. The Disillusioned Soldier Our heroes then heard rumours of a disgraced knight who had escaped prison during the revolution. He had been imprisoned for a string of murders, but had claimed to have been possessed by magic swords - something the judge at the time had laughed at. They found the grim soldier in a grim wine sink in a grim part of town. Sir Larcos Dengrin, a fallen paladin, asked our heroes to join him in a secret plan to destroy the House of Oquon and the Cabanites for once and for all. To do this, they would need a creature capable of eating metal. The Capture of the Kogoloxen Such a creature was known to exist in the Corroded Caves to the south of Sasserine. Known as the Kogoloxen, it was an oversized, brutish rust monster of local legend. Travelling to the foot of the Dungeon of Rust and Fire, our heroes cornered the Kogoloxen and trapped in a specially-built cage of bronzewood. They took it back to Sasserine for the final part of the plan. Quarantine of Steel Our heroes had secured the use of the abandoned North Marshalling Dome in Shadowshore. They brought the Kogoloxen to the dome and waited while Larcos organised a sit down between the competing thieves' guilds. The appointed time came and the leadership of each guild showed up in force. Our heroes then released the Kogoloxen on the assembled mobsters, and it tore through the weapons, destroying the guilds in the process. Aftermath The House of Oquon and the Cabanites had been destroyed, but questions still remained as to why their ancient conflict has suddenly restarted after years in abeyance. Clues were found in the possessions of the operatives of House Oquon, who had coins minted in the Old World. Cast of Characters Allies *Larcos Dengrin *Reginald Ramsden Enemies *The Cabanites **Weapons ***Czarina Valora ***Princessa Cathandra of the Unseen Edge ***Lady Akanara ***Contessa Invicta ***Dutchessa Thaluna, Fhalu, Asidra Ja & Melara **Imperativas ***Sartanis Rayblade ***Amarith Kellani ***Seth "the Footpad" ***Aeberrin Tonda ***Mander Knowlern ***Oswyn Pike *House Oquon **Weapons ***Solo Hand ***Triage ***Sabrehawk ***Hoardcutter ***Liberator ***Leveller **Operatives ***Alara Islaran ***Sara ***Kozomagar Lidu ***Vitellian Yarrick ***Premiach Vanderboren ***Laertes Islaran Other NPCs *Rohannis *Ghaultin Valk *Avner Meravanchi *Caterina Teraknian Monsters *Kogoloxen (Rust Monster) Locations *Rythiae *New World *Argyria *Mocotan Region *Sasserine *Iron Mountains *Corroded Caves *Merchants' Town *Featherwhisper's Bathhouse *Shadowshore *North Marshalling Dome Category:Adventure Category:Dungeon Magazine Category:Rise of Sasserine Category:War of the Wielded